title: Impact of informing overweight individuals about the role of genetics in obesity: an online experimental study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing public awareness of obesity genetics could have beneficial or harmful effects on overweight individuals. This study examined the impact of genetic information on weight-related cognitions as well as interest in personalized genetic information about obesity among overweight individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online survey respondents (n = 655) were randomly assigned to read either genetic, gene-environment, or nongenetic obesity causal information. Fifty-two percent of the participants were female, 82.4% were White, 45% had an annual income of USD <40,000, and the mean BMI was 32.5. Internalized weight stigma was measured using the Weight Bias Internalization Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants in the genetic and gene-environment conditions were more likely to believe genetics increase obesity risk than participants in the nongenetic condition (both p < 0.05); however, they did not differ regarding internalized weight stigma. Sixty-four percent of the participants expressed interest in receiving personalized genetic information about their obesity risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dissemination of information about obesity genetics may have neither a beneficial nor a harmful impact on how overweight individuals perceive themselves. Some overweight individuals may be interested in receiving personalized genetic information. The actual effects of obesity genetic information being incorporated into public health messages and of personalized genetic information on obesity prevention and treatment interventions remain to be seen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, N.Y., USA.
authors.forename: Natalie C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Lippa
authors.forename: Saskia C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Sanderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics; D003469:Culture; D003625:Data Collection; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics*; D050177:Overweight / Q000235:genetics*; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D057545:Social Stigma